San Francisco loses fourth game in a row when they fall 29-17 to
New York
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
Being embarrassed on national television didn’t sit well with the New York Giants defense, and they did something about it against woeful San Francisco.
Michael Johnson intercepted two passes as the defense forced three turnovers, recorded six sacks and had a safety in leading the Super Bowl champions to a 29-17 win over the error-prone 49ers in a sloppily played game at Giants Stadium on Sunday.
“It was a big-time effort by our defense,” said quarterback Eli Manning, who converted one of the turnovers into a 6-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress. “To get turnovers, we’ve been missing that a little bit. To play the way they did today, to get big-time turnovers, put the offense in great field position.”
Twelve of the Giants’ points resulted from turnovers, which had been a rarity for New York (5-1) this season. They had two in the first five games.
The performance also came less than a week after Cleveland rolled up 454 yards in total offense in ending the Giants’ 11-game road winning streak, 12 counting the Super Bowl. In that 35-14 loss, New York didn’t generate a turnover, a sack or force Cleveland to punt.
“It was just a matter of being more intense and more focused, and wanting it more,” said defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who recovered the botched handoff that led to the Burress TD. “We definitely got embarrassed as a team and especially as a defensive line last week. And that is why we were relentless and not letting that happen again.”
Key in the performance was the defense’s ability to limit halfback Frank Gore to 11 yards on 11 carries. That made the 49ers (2-5) one dimensional, which helped in generating sacks.
“Turnovers are everything,” said Johnson, whose first pick set up a field goal. His second stopped a 49ers’ drive deep in New York territory late in the first half with San Francisco threatening to tie the game at 17.
“Coach (Tom) Coughlin always addresses statistics and tendencies and what wins ball games,” Johnson added. “He always emphasizes the least amount of penalties as possible and causing turnovers. And that is what really helped us out today.”
Brandon Jacobs also ran for two touchdowns as the Giants won their fourth straight game at home, one more than they had last season. The loss was the fourth straight for the 49ers (2-5), who are looking at a sixth straight losing season.
There already is speculation that coach Mike Nolan’s job is in jeopardy.
“When you’re losing it’s fair speculation, sure,” Nolan said. “But as far as if it’s on my mind, it’s not there. I can’t control that, I’m just trying to win. If I focus on winning, I have a better chance of doing something about that.”
The game wasn’t pretty for either team, especially San Francisco, which also had 13 penalties for 134 yards. Combined, it handed New York 19 points.
“We’ve got to turn this thing around,” 49ers center Eric Heitmann said. “Everyone on the team feels this isn’t the same team we had last year. This is a different team, a much better team. This is a team that should not be 2-5. The character on this team will do everything to turn this around, and it starts right now with Seattle coming up.”
The Giants had their ugly moments, too. On the verge of building a 17-point lead late in the third quarter, Manny Lawson blocked John Carney’s field-goal attempt and Nate Clements returned it 74 yards for a touchdown, cutting the lead to 24-17. It was the second straight week the Niners scored on a blocked field goal.
Carney atoned moments later with a 48-yard field goal, and the defense iced the game with a sack that led to a safety when receiver Josh Morgan kicked the ball out of his end zone.
The start is the best for the Giants since 1993, but they are also facing a tough stretch with games against Pittsburgh, Dallas and Philadelphia.
“We’re right where we want to be,” Kiwanuka said. “At the start of this season, most of the people in this locker room would have taken 5-and-1. We head into a stretch of the season where we have to come out with the same fire and focus every week.”
Jacobs touchdown runs of 26 and 2 yards helped stake New York to a 14-3 lead. A 30-yard touchdown pass from J.T. O’Sullivan to Morgan closed the gap to 14-10, before Johnson’s first pick set up a short field goal by Carney.
Manning and Burress stretched the lead to 24-10 early in the third quarter but the blocked field goal gave San Francisco some hope, until the Giants put things away.
Notes:
Jacobs finished with 69 yards rushing on 17 carries. … Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce was inactive with a quad injury. Chase Blackburn started and had a team-high 10 tackles and a sack. … Morgan had a team-high five receptions for 86 yards. He had six catches for 74 yards in the first six games. … 49ers returner Allen Rossum left the game with a groin injury. … The Giants had 273 yards in total offense, 20 more than the Niners.
